Sewing machine



May 25, 1937.

\ Filed Aug. 17, 1936 W. A. SMITH SEWING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J29" lI i i i HM. g f6 ago 27 r '"29 l'l -51 In I I I J 5 ll] Z5 Mn]. 16jnde'rzzor- [([altr fldazil $715172 Patented May 25, 1937 UNE'E'EDSTATES PATENT @FFICE SEWING MACHINE Application August 17, 1936, SerialNo. 86,387

4 Claims.

This invention relates to sewing machines and particularly to treadleoperated machines.

The main object of the invention is to provide a treadle operatedmachine efficient for its intended purpose, in which the operativemechanism, including the treadle, is concealed, when not in use, in acabinet of the knee-hole type.

Another object of the invention is to provide pivotal connecting meansbetween the treadle shaft and cabinet base and between the treadle andreciprocating pitman whereby the treadle may be supported in horizontalor vertical position without being disconnected from any operative partsand by merely swinging the treadle and shaft about said pivotalconnections.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a sewing machine housed in a cabinet ofthe knee-hole type.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the front and side doorsof the cabinet in open positions and the treadle in its horizontal,operative position.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View taken in the plane of the line 3-3of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the right hand side of the cabinet inopen position, as shown in Fig. 2, but showing the treadle in vertical,non-operative position.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view taken in the plane ofthe line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the pivital connection betweenthe treadle and pitman, taken in the plane of the line Ii6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. '7 is a vertical sectional view taken in the plane of the line 'I'Iof Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view of a detail taken in the plane ofthe line 88 of Fig. 4.

In that embodiment of the invention which I have chosen to illustrate inthe drawings, the

work table top It has hinged to it at each end top members I I, I I,arranged to lie in the same plane as the work top IEI when the machineis in use. The machine top is supported by the cabinet walls whichinclude a rear wall consisting of the panels 3 l2 and I3, preferablyintegral, a front wall consisting of the panels I4 and I5 and base IS, ashort end wall I! supported by legs I8, I8, a longer end wall I9, and aside wall and side base member 2i. The side 29 is parallel with the endwall I9 and hingedly connected at 22 to the panel I3 of the rear wall.The front panel I5 consists of an upper fixed portion and a lower doorsection hingedly connected at 23 to the end wall I9. A floor 24 extendshorizontally between the base walls I6, 2|, and end and rear walls l9,

I3, respectively. The lower part of the legs I8 are joined by a crosspiece 25.

The upper part of the cabinet houses the drophead of the machine, andthe chamber formed by the walls I 3, I5, I9 and 20 contains the pulleywheel, pitman, treadle and pivotal connections when the treadle is innon-operative position as shown in Fig. 1.

Any desired type of sewing machine head, having the conventional flywheel (not shown) may be mounted in the cabinet and connected by a belt26 to the pulley wheel 21 rotatably mounted on a stub shaft 28 supportedby a bracket 29 secured to the end Wall IS. A guard 38 partiallyencloses the puily wheel 2'! and is supported by an arm 3! secured tothe end wall IS. A pitman 32 is pivotally connected at 33 to the pulleywheel 21.

The pitman 32 is operated by a treadle 34 pivotally mounted at 35, 35,on a shaft 35. One end of the shaft 36 is supported by a bracket 3'1 se-.1

cured to the inner surface of the cross piece 25. The other end of theshaft 36 is apertured and pivotally connected by a pin or screw 38 tothe upright ears 39 of the floor plate 40 rigidly secured to the floor24.

The treadle 34 is provided with an arm M which in assuming the positionsshown in Figs. 2 and 4. 7

When the machine is not in use, the operator merely raises the left handend of the treadle shaft 36 from its support 3?, swinging the treadleshaft about its pivotal connection 38 and the treadle about its swivelball 44 in the joint 46. This movement requires the pitman 32 and joint46 to move laterally from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that of Fig.4.

The treadle 34 and shaft 36 are retained in nonoperative, concealedposition by a spring clip 48 secured to a support 49 in the cabinet, theclip being adapted to frictionally engage the free end of the shaft 36,as shown in Figs. 4 and 8.

In Fig. 1, the hinged side door 20 and hinged portion of the front I5are closed, all the machine parts are concealed, and the cabinet servesas an attractive desk of the knee-hole or space type. To place thetreadle in operative position, the side door 20 is swung about thehinges 22 so as to be parallel with the rear wall I3 and provide arearclosure wall for the knee-space, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and thetreadle shaft 36 is swung downwardly until it rests on the bracket 31attached to the cross piece 25. Thus the treadle may be made operativeor inoperative without disconnecting it from any operative parts andwhen moved to or from said operative or inoperative position or whensupported in the operative position with other exposed operating partsof the machine the parts are protected from entanglement with materialfed through the head of the machine and over the rear face of theswingable closure wall and door 2t. 7

Changes may be made in details of construction without departing fromthe scope of my invention and I do not intend to be limited to the exactform shown and described, except as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A cabinet enclosed, treadle operated sewing machine comprising acabinet having a head receiving chamber having an operating kneespacebelow said head and a vertically disposed side chamber at one side ofsaid knee-space, a door closing the inner side of said side chamber,said side door being hinged to the rear wall of the side chamber andswingable about a vertical axis to leave an unobstructed space betweenthe side chamber and the opposite side of the cabinet and form a rearclosure wall for said hee-space, a pulley wheel attached to one end wallof the cabinet and within said side chamber, a pitman pivotallyconnected to the pulley wheel, a treadle shaft, a pivotal connectionconnecting one end of said treadle shaft directly to the floor of theside chamber, a treadle pivotally mounted on the shaft, a pivotalconnection between the treadle and the pitman, said treadle and shaftbeing movable from a vertical position within the side chamber to ahorizontal position across said unobstructed space after the side doorhas been swung rearwardly about said vertical axis, and means on thecabinet for supporting the free end of the treadle shaft in operativeposition.

2. A cabinet enclosed, treadle operated sewing machine comprising acabinet having a head receiving chamber having an operating kneespacebelow said head and a vertically disposed side chamber at one side ofsaid knee-space, hinged doors at the front and inner side of said sidechamber, the side door being hinged to the rear wall of the side chamberand swingable about a vertical axis to leave an unobstructed spacebetween the side chamber and the opposite side of the cabinet and form arear closure wall for said knee-space, a pulley wheel attached to oneend wall of the cabinet and within said side chamber, a pitman pivotallyconnected to the pulley wheel, a treadle shaft, a pivotal connectionconnecting one end of said treadle shaft directly to the floor of theside chamber, a treadle pivotally mounted on the shaft, a pivotalconnection between the treadle and the pitman, said treadle and shaftbeing movable from a vertical position within the side chamber to ahorizontal position across said unobstructed space after the side doorhas been swung rearwardly about said vertical axis, means on the cabinetfor supporting the free end of the treadle shaft in operative position,and means within the side chamber for engaging the treadle shaft when invertical position.

3. A cabinet enclosed, treadle operated sewing machine comprising acabinet having a head receiving chamber and a vertically disposed sidechamber, hinged doors at the front and inner side of said side chamber,the side door being hinged to the rear wall of the side chamber andswingable about a vertical axis to leave an unobstructed space betweenthe side chamber and the opposite side of the cabinet, a pulley wheelattached to one end wall of the cabinet and within said side chamber, apitman pivotally connected to the pulley wheel, a treadle shaft, apivotal connection connecting one end of said treadle shaft to the floorof the side chamber, a treadle pivotally mounted on the shaft, a pivotalconnection between the treadle and the pitman, said treadle and shaftbeing movable from a vertical to a horizontal position across saidunobstructed space after the side door has been swung rearwardly aboutsaid vertical axis, and means. on the cabinet for supporting the freeend of the treadle shaft in operative position, the pivotal connectionbetween the treadle and pitman being bodily movable, and the pivotalconnection between the pitman and pulley wheel affording play permittingslight lateral movement of the pitman when the treadle and shaft areswung from vertical to horizontal positions.

4. A cabinet enclosed, treadle operated sewing 7 machine comprising acabinet having a head receiving chamber and a vertically disposed sidechamber, hinged doors at the front and inner side of said side chamber,a pulley wheel attached to one end wall of the cabinet and within saidside chamber, a pitman pivotally connected to the pulley wheel, atreadle shaft, a pivotal connection connecting one end of said treadleshaft to the floor of the side chamber, a treadle pivotally mounted onthe shaft, a pivotal connection between the treadle and the pitman, andmeans on the cabinet for supporting the free end of the treadle shaft inoperative position, the pivotal connection between the treadle andpitman being bodily movable, and the pivotal connection between thepitman and pulley wheel affording play permitting slight lateralmovement of the pitman when the treadle and shaft are swung fromvertical to horizontal positions.

WALTER ADAM SMITH.

